US & World News, Tuesday 5/01

US & World Summary: Report: Leader Of Al-Qaeda In Iraq Killed Theres still no official confirmation from the U.S. military that a top al-Qaeda official in Iraq has been killed. According to the Iraqi interior ministry, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri died in a battle north of Baghdad. Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver says the U.S. military is checking the reports and asking the Iraqis how and where they got their information. He says if the body can be found theyll conduct DNA tests to confirm the identity. Masri replaced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq after al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike last June. --- Bush Expected To Veto War Funding Bill (Washington, DC) -- President Bush today is expected to follow through on his threat by vetoing a war funding bill that contains timelines to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. The bill, introduced by Congressional Democrats, provides operational funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the measure, combat troops would have to begin coming home from Iraq by this October 1st. Meanwhile, the President visits the U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida today, where hell address the troops and take part in a special briefing. --- Report: Deportation Rates On The Rise When they gather in cities across the country today, supporters of immigrant rights will also be protesting a rise in deportations. According to the "New York Times," theres been an Immigration and Customs Enforcement clamp down thats led to a 20-percent climb in deportations from last year. Todays rallies across the country are expected to be smaller than those held last May 1st. The largest rallies are expected to take place in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Washington, DC. --- Federal Suit Leveled Against Chicago Cop (Chicago, IL) -- The Chicago police officer allegedly involved in a barroom beating is now facing federal charges. Anthony Abbate is accused of beating a female bartender in a February incident that was recorded by a security camera. He already faces over one dozen state charges, and has now been named in a federal civil suit. According to a Chicago television station, the suit was filed by bartender Karolina Obrycka and claims Abbate should never have been hired as a police officer, because of previous criminal and psychological problems. --- Funeral Services For Jack Valenti Set For Today Jack Valenti will be buried today. The former aide to President Lyndon Johnson and longtime spokesman for the movie industry died last week at his Washington, DC home. The former head of the Motion Picture Association of America died at the age of 85, just one month after suffering a stroke. Valenti is credited with creating the ratings system for films and fighting for copyright enforcement. Valenti left the MPAA in 2004 and worked for the television industry, opposing more strict decency regulations. --- Pollution Levels Drop In Los Angeles (Washington, DC) -- The air quality in Los Angeles is getting better. Thats according to the American Lung Associations annual State of the Air report. The report says while L.A. is still the smoggiest city in the nation, the city is less polluted than in previous years. The California mega-city still has the highest pollution rates in the country, but smog has been reduced. The report also applauded smog reductions across the country since 2002, but said coal-fired power plants in the Eastern U.S. are still the biggest polluters. --- Boy George Arrested On Assault Charge (London) -- Singer Boy George is the latest celebrity to have a brush with the law. The former Culture Club singer was arrested and released on bail over the weekend after being accused of false imprisonment and assault. According to a police spokeswoman, the singer, whose real name is George ODowd, is scheduled to appear in court this July on the charges. Last year, George was ordered to sweep the streets of Manhattan, New York, after police found cocaine in his apartment. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions/Regional News Service) RNS-05-01-07 0939CDT